


You Make Everything Sparkle

by bothromeoandjuliet



Series: Spring Fling Jeronica Week [5]
Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Don't you think?, F/M, Josie helps Jughead with music, Jughead is not, Kevin is late with his homework, Things Are Said, Veronica and Jughead have that love hate thing going, Veronica is a talented waitress, Veronica is really excited about May Day, about dancing under a may pole before, all work, and no play, if you've dreamed, makes Veronica a crabby girl, raise your hand, sometimes forehead kisses are sweeter, song insert, then normal kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-11-13 14:59:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18033896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bothromeoandjuliet/pseuds/bothromeoandjuliet
Summary: Veronica has been looking forward to Riverdale's May Day Celebration all winter, but when May first finally rolls around the corner, Veronica is too busy working at Pops to go out and enjoy the festivities. Late that night Veronica decides to go explore the fair grounds even though everyone else has gone home. Well...almost everyone. Jughead is there too, and he's not leaving until Veronica gets to dance under the stars.





	You Make Everything Sparkle

**Author's Note:**

> Day number five, prompt; May Pole!!

“It is one month to Riverdale’s semi-annual May Day Celebration, and I have never been more excited in the entirety of my life!”

Veronica’s words are met with varying reactions. Kevin barely glances up from the essay that he’s rushing to complete for his English class, Betty gives her a smile that is almost wide enough to compete with her own, Archie grins halfheartedly, rubbing palms, sweaty from nerves, on his jeans, and Jughead waits for Veronica to make eye-contact with him before rolling his eyes ostentatiously.

“I'm so glad that you’re excited V. The May Day celebration is a huge tradition here in Riverdale; some of my first memories are of me, Archie, and Jughead running around the festival grounds, trying to see who could get the most candy.”

Betty’s smile softens as she glances back-and-forth between the two boys, clearly thinking of their long gone childhood games. Archie returns the smile, and Jughead uses the opportunity to swipe half of Archie's fries off his tray.

“I'm just so glad that I finally have an excuse to celebrate. May Day is one of my favorites non-traditional holidays but nobody ever acknowledges it back in New York.”

“Yeah; that's because it has no meaning. All the May Day Celebration is really for is for Mayor McCoy to show off to the neighboring towns how much better Riverdale is, despite all evidence to the contrary.”

Jughead’s words are crammed out of his mouth from around his burger and Veronica doesn't respond, or even look at him until he's finished chewing. Once he swallows she turns to him, the smile on her face going from genuine to sickly sweet in half a second.

“A charming theory Jughead; one that I’m sure we’ll all get to read about when you’re and Betty’s article about the festival appears in the Blue and Gold. But until then, I’m sure that everyone would prefer for you to spew your conspiracy theories quietly on the internet or perhaps just not at all.” 

Veronica’s switches her attention to her plastic water bottle, internally satisfied at the pleasing clicking sound that it makes when she twists the cap. Jughead scoffs, Veronica can practically feel his disdain washing against the side of her skull, and Archie and Betty glance nervously between them, always on the look out for World War Three.

“It's not my fault that you picked a crappy holiday to be obsessed with Veronica, so you can keep your venom to yourself.”

She glares at him and he glares back, neither one even blinking until Betty breaks the silence with a timid question for Archie about the songs that he’s going to be preforming with the Pussycats. Kevin finishes his essay with what little success he can, considering the fact that he’d completely forgotten about it until that morning, and joins in the conversation, helping to ease the tension somewhat.

Jughead goes back to ignoring her for the most part, only acknowledging her existence when she tells Archie that he’s going to be the most applauded performer of the whole day, after which he rolls his eyes at her again. Veronica primly tells him that his eyes are going to stick that way, leaving the table promptly afterwords so he won’t have the chance to retaliate.

Jughead may get under her skin like nobody else does, but there is no possible way that Veronica is going to let Jughead ruin her enjoyment of May Day. No way; not ever.

* * *

 

As it turns out, Jughead isn’t the thing that sets out to ruin her May Day excitement,anti-bodies are. The night before the festival Pope Tate calls her, in bed with a nasty bug. He’s had a headache for most of the day and a cough and upset stomach and in short; there is no way that he can be at work the next day, meaning Veronica, as the co-manager, has no choice but to give up her dreams of a day of innocent pleasure with her friends. Pop Tate apologies over and over and Veronica reassures him that it's completely fine, even though the truth is she’s pretty bitterly disappointed.

It's not the fault of the customers though, so when Veronica unlocks Pops door and flips the the welcome sign to Open, she does it with the brightest smile that she can muster.

The yellow sleeves of her new uniform are chafing at her arms. She had agreed with Pop that she needed a replacement after her old one had gotten stained, curtesy of some less then polite Goulies, but this new one was edging on the shorter side and Veronica found herself longing for the soft, worn-in fabric of her old one.

“Hey Veronica.”

“Hi Mr. Andrews!” Veronica answers, popping her head out of the kitchen door and nodding hello to him and Archie.

“You two grab a booth and I’ll be right out.” she promises.

She grabs her pad and pen and tightens her ponytail before heading to their table. Mr. Andrews' expression is concerned and looking at Archie it was easy to see why. His face was positively green and he kept entangling his fingers into complicated knots.

“And what can I get you two gentlemen this morning? Full course breakfast with all the trimmings?”

“Not today I think Veronica.” Mr. Andrews answers. “Archie here’s been refusing to eat anything since last night, so I brought him here for a milkshake, since that's all he seemed to be interested in.”

“Ah, that classic symptom of stage fright and nerves. One Archie Andrews’ Strawberry Milkshake and…” Veronica turns to Mr. Andrews, one eyebrow raised.

“Oh, I ate this morning so I’ll just have a water. The doctors are on me about putting less salt and sugar in my system.”

“Well we wouldn’t want to go against doctors orders. One milkshake and one water coming right up.”

The shake is done in a flash and by the time that Veronica is back at the Andrews table Archie is talking and looking slightly better and more aware of his surroundings. They both thank her as she sets down their drinks, and then Archie asks,

“What are you doing working Ronnie? I thought that you had taken the day off so you could go to the festival.”

“I had, and then Pop Tate called in sick, and I didn’t think that it was fair for me to make somebody else come in just so I could have the day off.”

Archie expression shifts to disappointment and Mr. Andrews promises her that he’ll make sure to win her stuffed animal at the ring toss.

“I’ll hold you to that Mr. Andrews! And don’t worry Archie, I’ve already made Toni promise to film your entire performance so I’ll still get to watch the whole thing, just after the fact. Oh, no, it's on me.”

Veronica waves Mr. Andrews credit card away with a twist of her manicured fingers, tossing a smile over her shoulder as she walks away.

There aren’t many customers that morning, but by the time lunchtime rolls around most of the booths are filled, most with faces of non-Riverdale residents that Veronica doesn’t recognize.

She’s just finished giving a sweet family their order and drooling all over their adorable daughter; (Veronica loves kids, and had always wanted a younger sibling until her father proved just how horrible he was,) when the bell rings above the door. She looks up and meets Jughead’s eye. He’s there to pick up the order that Betty had in called early, so Veronica walks into the kitchen where their lunch is sitting packed and ready.

There’s several other orders sitting on the warming counter and Veronica’s trying to find Betty’s when she feels, rather then hears, Jughead enter the kitchen behind her.

“You doing okay, Princess?”

He drags out the last word teasingly, taunting her with the nickname that he only uses when its just the two of them. Veronica doesn’t hate it if she’s being honest, but she does hate that she doesn’t hate it.

“I know that you don’t really care Jughead, so just let me find your order and you won’t have to be annoyed by my presence anymore.”

The orders seem to wobble in front of her and she grips the counter, steadying herself. Being awake since three a.m. that morning really wasn’t doing anything great for her self control.

“There’s a lot of customers out there.” Jughead remarks.

“Look Jughead, I get that you’re completely tickled by the fact that I’m having to miss out on the festival today; like I got what I deserved for chewing everyones ear off about it for the past few months; but I’ve been awake since three this morning and I actually have _less_ then no energy for a battle of the tongues with you!”

Her words are unnecessarily harsh when compared to Jughead’s innocent statement, and they both know it. Veronica looks back at him over her shoulder and bites down hard on her lip, tears pricking at her eyes, and Jughead just shakes his head at her, reaching over Veronica’s shoulder to grab the bag clearly labeled ‘Betty’ in sharpie that had evidently been staring Veronica in the face the whole time, before walking out, leaving his payment for her to count out on the cash register.

She’s tempted to call out after him, but she's busy and besides, what would she even say? So Veronica stays put, plastering a smile, that is starting to feel faker and faker by the second, on her face.

Eventually the lunch crowd clears out, leaving Veronica with just enough time to eat a cold sandwich and then clean up in time for the dinner rush. Her feet hurt, and her ponytail is too tight, (seriously, Veronica has no idea how Betty manages to wear one everyday,) and she’s had to hear far too many cheers from the crowds at the festival.

She does smile slightly when Betty sends her a selfie of her eating her lunch in front of the may pole, only to frown once she notices Jughead standing in the background of the photo, eyes on the ground and a scowl on his face. Veronica doesn’t flatter herself enough to think that she could have permanently effected his mood with what she had said, but she doesn’t doubt that she probably didn’t help anything either. Veronica thinks about texting him, but then a customer comes in and Veronica’s back to being busy.

Diner goes by without any major issues, everyone who was only in Riverdale for the festival has gone home and the in-town visitors have gone home as well, so its pretty much just the people who were actually working the festival itself. They’re all zoned out and tired, so Veronica isn’t forced to provide any sparkling conversation, for which she truly grateful.

Archie and Josie are the only people who come in that she really knows, and it's pretty clear that they're on a date, so Veronica keeps contact with their table to the minimum, not wanting to make the lovebirds night awkward.

She sends Greg, (the chef and dishwasher) home early, insisting that she can lock up on her own. Veronica knows that he’s got a wife and two little kids at home; kids that are very likely bursting at the seams to tell their dad about what they had gotten to see that day. She would’ve given him the day off like she had everyone else but there was no way that Veronica could have handled everything on her own. So she waves him farewell with a smile, and mentally reminds herself to give him a bonus on his next payday.

It's nearly midnight by the time that Veronica finishes everything and locks the door behind her. The night is beautiful though, if a tiny bit cold, so instead of just calling Andre to pick her up, Veronica decides to walk through the festival grounds before walking home, so she could at least pretend that she had gotten to enjoy the celebrations.

Confetti sprinkles the ground, along with bits of food and freebies from the varies venders. The city cleaning department is going to have their work cut out for them, Veronica thinks to herself, stepping delicately over a gift left by one of the horses that had been in the parade, as if her shoes were a pair of her finest heels and not a pair of sensibly trainers.

A half-deflated ballon sits caught in a tree and as she walks past it Veronica gives it a weak tug. It doesn’t come down and she’s not really that surprised. Veronica would have been more surprised if something had actually gone right for her.

Up ahead a street lamp shines, its light illuminating what Veronica had really come to see, the May Pole. It stood far above her head, its base covered by a row of hedges that lined the edge of the grass knoll that it stood in. Apparently Mayor McCoy had decided to leave it standing, for tonight at least. Flowers coiled around it, and colorful streamers flowed from the top, drifting their way down to where they were fastened to the ground.

 _“It's really beautiful.”_ Veronica thought to herself as she neared the parks entrance. _“Beautiful like…Like a fairytale.”_

Rounding the corner, Veronica’s heart jolted in shock. Because standing underneath the May Pole, in all his grey beanie-ed glory, was Jughead Jones.

“Jughead?” Veronica gasped, “Jughead, what are you doing here, you nearly gave me a heart attack!”

He looks up instantly at her voice, expression shifting from a look of neutral boredom to one nervous anticipation. Reaching up, Jughead tugs impatiently at his beanie, shoving it in his pocket after its pulled off, freeing his dark curled to the light breeze, before walking up to her, his hand outstretched.

“Dance with me.”

“What?”

Veronica’s face swishes in confusion and she ignores his hand, instead opting to press her fingertips against Jugheads’s forehead; asking,

“Jughead are you feeling okay? Do you realize what you just asked me?”

“I’ve realized a lot of things today Veronica,” reaching up and pulling her hand away from his forehead, fingers wrapping around hers. “And one of the things that I realized is that somewhere along the line I made you believe that I found enjoyment in your suffering.”

“Jughead if this is about what I said this afternoon I just wanna say that I’m really sorry and-”

“No Veronica, you need to listen to what I’m saying. I made you think that you that I wanted to rub your ruined day in your face somehow. So even though I still think that May Day is a dumb holiday, I want to give you at least one good memory of today.”

Jughead’s other hand reached down, grabbing hers.

“Will you dance with me, Princess?”

“Jughead, I…You're doing all this for me even though I’m the one that should be apologizing…”

Veronica halted, distracted by the blue eyes staring down at her. How had she never noticed that Jughead’s eyes were so blue before?

Apparently Jughead took her silence as a yes, so stroking a thumb over the back of Veronica’s hand, Jughead stepped backwards, leading her further onto the grass.

Once they were standing under the streamers, Jughead dropped her hand and pulled his phone out of his back pocket.

“It's not a live band or an orchestra or anything fancy like that.” he apologizes, his voice embarrassed, “But I did ask Josie, strictly hypothetically of course, what songs she would recommend for a slow dance, so it should better then nothing. Hopefully at least.”

He taps something on the screen and a song that Veronica doesn’t recognize starts to play while he sticks it back in his pocket. One arm wraps around her waist easily, so easily that Veronica wonders why its never been there before, and the other stretches out, fingers wrapped around hers, ready to twirl her if he gets the inclination.

They sway together, with the breeze, under the stars. Neither say anything, they don’t have to, it's all been said before. At first Veronica is to embarrassed to look up at him, but once it becomes clear that Jughead is going to keep staring at her whether she’s looking at him or not, she meets his eye, knees weakening as she does so.

“Jughead,” she whispers “do you call me Princess as a term of endearment?”

He bends down, lips meeting the crown of her hair for the briefest of moments.

“Does that answer your question Princess?

Heat rushes to her face and she’s tempted to bury her face in his chest.

“For now.”


End file.
